‘Permission to Regulate!’ NERC Grants Niger State Oversight Over Electricity Operations

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has granted the Niger State Electricity Regulatory Commission the permission to regulate the state electricity supply industry in a notice by NERC on Friday.

According to NERC, the approval is in compliance with the 2023 Electricity Act and the liberalization of the electricity sector.

“In compliance with the amended Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN) and the Electricity Act 2023 (Amended), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (“NERC” or the “Commission”) has issued an order to transfer regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Niger State from the Commission to the Niger State Electricity Regulatory Commission (NSERC).

“Recall that with the EA 2023, the Commission retains the role as a central regulator with regulatory oversight on the interstate/international generation, transmission, supply, trading, and system operations.

“The EA also mandates any state that intends to establish and regulate intrastate electricity markets to deliver a formal notification of its processes and requests NERC to transfer regulatory authority over electricity operations in the state to the State Regulator.

“Based on this, the Government of Niger State complied with the conditions precedent in the laws, duly notified NERC, and requested the transfer of regulatory oversight of the intrastate electricity market in Niger State,”

the statement reads.

NERC further directed AEDC to, within 60 days, incorporate a subsidiary to assume responsibilities for interstate supply and distribution of electricity in Niger State from AEDC.

OwelekeTV confirms that the development adds to the number of states in Nigeria that have been granted oversight of the electricity supply sector when Lagos State on the 19th of December 2024 received autonomous over its electricity market.